Friday, November 10, 2006

French FM to press Sudan on Darfur

France's foreign minister, who has repeatedly called on Khartoum to let U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur, will visit Sudan next week to speed up the search for a solution to the humanitarian crisis there, his ministry said.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy will visit the Sudanese capital on Sunday, where he expects to meet President Omar Hassan al-Bashir before travelling to Darfur on Monday, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

"This visit takes place in the context of the move led by France with its partners from the international community to accelerate the settlement of the Darfur crisis," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Violence will bring no victory. For the sake of the Darfur civilians, all parties to the conflict have to stop resorting to violence. This is the absolute priority.” - Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, 05 June 2009

"APPREHENSION" by Rob Rooker. Painted on a wall in Maridi, Sudan. The image is of a young Nuer boy looking up among a crowd of people. Click on image for more details. Cards & prints of Rob's paintings can be purchased online at Imagekind.com